The invention comes within the domain of securing road vehicles as loads on loading planes of trucks or freight cars.
When transporting cars and, more generally, road vehicles on trucks or freight cars specifically for this use, the vehicles transported are secured on bearing planes to guarantee that they do not move during travel.
This necessity stems from the often sudden jolts of certain amplitude experienced by the chassis of the truck or the freight car while moving and to flaws in the roads or railroad tracks.
There are currently two main ways to go about this.
The first consists in securing the vehicle by its wheels and, more precisely, by its tires, thus allowing its suspension to bounce freely.
The second, as indicated below, uses connections between the chassis of the vehicle and the bearing plane on which the vehicle rests. The suspension of the transported vehicle is then compressed by the strong pull force of the connection, making it possible to keep it taut regardless of the movements of the chassis of the truck or the freight car.
In the first case, securing the vehicle by its wheels is done either on the wheels or, more generally, by means of a flat link that immobilizes the tire directly or by means of a part bearing a strap. The strap is stretched between a low fixed end point situated, for example, in front of the tire, generally by hooking onto or into the structure of the bearing platform, and another low fixed point situated, for example, close to and behind the tire. Using a tensioning device the strap is tensioned enough to immobilize the wheel against its bearing support.
This system has been largely perfected over the many years since it was created.
Thus, the disadvantage due to the movement of the strap resulting from its tensioning and from the slight collapse of the tire was eliminated by using sliding sheaths or sleeves or loop structures or swiveling means for rolling on the tire.
These types of securing methods have many advantages.
The first has to do with the lightness of the assembly, which represents only a minimum amount of extra weight for the truck and is easy and fast to use.
Another advantage is the small amount of strength necessary for assembly, for the vehicle is sufficiently immobilized with average tension and the only resistance to be overcome is that of the tire.
Finally, the cost of the assembly appears entirely reasonable.
The second means is still often used in certain countries.
The links used are primarily chains that traditionally offer the best mechanical strength, but cables are also used.
This second means has two significant disadvantages. On the one hand, chains and even cables constitute additional weight to be transported and used; on the other hand, their weight and the necessity of compressing the suspensions requires considerable effort which results in fatigue and, as a result, in risks for the operators, as well as less attention to and less precision in their actions.
From both an economical and work safety standpoint, these disadvantages lead to a need for a device for securing to the chassis that is light, effective and easy to use.
Furthermore, chain or cable systems cannot be adapted to wheels or tires due to the damage that may cause.